


Football

by Ann_O927



Category: The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton
Genre: Fluff, Happy Ending, Implied Sexual Content, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 16:40:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19380637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ann_O927/pseuds/Ann_O927
Summary: Johnny didn’t know a whole lot about football. But he did know a lot Dallas Winston. And he did know a few things about tension.





	Football

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working hard on the next chapters of my fic and I found myself wildly out of touch with my story and the characters, so I wrote a quick, fluffy fic to help spark some creative juices and keep my love for the ship alive. This was written entirely from 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. and I'm just getting to bed... so i'm sorry for any further stupidity

Johnny didn’t know a whole lot about football. Sure, throughout his childhood he’d been constantly surrounded by the sport and the entire gang would play a game every Sunday but back when he was ten and well old enough to play, he’d always be stuck practically babysitting Ponyboy. When he got older and Pony would whine because he wasn’t allowed to join his brothers, Johnny was suddenly thrust into a world he had never paid attention to.

No one really bothered him during games. They all seemed to understand that he wasn’t the most athletic player and they just let him hang out to the side and would toss him the ball when he was close enough to the end zone-which was just two empty cans and a line dug into the dirt. He wouldn’t do much and he still was never close enough to the action to fully comprehend how football worked. 

When Dally came into the picture that all changed. In an idiotic effort to impress him, Johnny asked to be more involved. Unfortunately, the gang was so excited that no one took into account how uneducated he was. All of a sudden he was being yelled at and was given weird signals and put in strange positions he didn’t know the names of and given the ball a lot more, which meant that he was getting tackled left and right.

Dally asked him why they didn’t take it easier on him. Johnny told him he didn’t really know how to play. Dally offered some lessons and Johnny accepted. But they never really helped and as time went on the constant contact and being on top of each other and proximity became… unbearably distracting. 

So Johnny never really learned how to play football. He still didn’t know what a quarterback did or what the quarters were. But no one seemed to care during games, and that was his blessing and his curse.

Something that had always irked him about school-boy, homemade football, was how willing everyone was to take their shirt off. Back when he was younger and first “discovering himself,” the half-naked boys didn’t really help rid of his self-loathing. And now as a more “experienced” teenage boy, the half-naked Dallas Winston didn’t really help with their supposed secrecy.

It was strange that Dally was the first one to suggest to keep their relationship private, though Johnny had thought the same and whole-heartedly agreed. But the hood wasn’t doing much to hide anything. If the restless touches he gave him under tables and the quick squeezes and all the completely “hidden” signs of physical affection weren’t enough, there was also the constant looking and glances and what Two-Bit likes to appropriately label as “eye-fucking.”

If that eye-fucking wasn’t apparent during their everyday public life, it was clear as day during football.

Granted, maybe Johnny shouldn’t be staring as Dally slid his shirt off, but the last thing Dallas should have done was catch his gaze and hold it. Hold it for a long time. For what might be as long as forever. Eventually, Johnny just had to roll his eyes and pretend that his body wasn’t reacting in any hormonal way. 

“See something you like?” Dally asked as he passed by Johnny, not so subtly showing off his body to his significant other, lover, whatever other term that describes their relationship but isn’t the word “boyfriend.” Both Johnny and Dally seem to have a huge and irrational fear of the word “boyfriend,” maybe it makes everything too real. They like how dreamy it feels. Like a forbidden romance in a movie, but something pretty and blissful and fake. They weren’t ready to face reality.

“Whatever,” Johnny said playfully. “Just go on to your team and get ready to be beat.”

Dally raised an eyebrow. “By who? You?”

“Oh yeah,” he cocked his head and scrunched up his face, “Dallas Winston, I will single handedly take you down.”

“Oh,” Dally nodded, pretending to act intimidating. “Okay, let's see.”

“Let’s,” Johnny retorted, leaning forward as the other boy walked away.

“Let’s!”

The entire gang had formed into one long line. Dally and Johnny were right next to each other and Dally kept on teasingly intertwining their pinkies. He would hold on and curl them together and then he would let go and drag his finger up to Johnny’s wrist, then he would do the same thing all over again. Johnny smacked him on the side in the most inconspicuous way possible. 

Soda and Darry were team captains, like always, and they did a quick round of rock, paper, scissors to see who would pick first. Soda won and immediately picked Steve. Darry picked Two-Bit. Soda chose Dally. Darry chose Johnny. Soda chose Ponyboy. The teams were uneven and kind of unfair, Soda had more players and all of them were strong and/or really fast. While Darry had two sources of rare strength and just… Johnny.

But everything always evened out during the game anyways. 

Johnny was immediately fired with barks of orders that he didn’t understand, random numbers, and Darry having to physically move him to his positions. Dally wasn’t too far away and kept glancing at him and winking. All Johnny could do was tense up and wait to be hit or yelled at. 

He was hit, first of all. And knocked to the ground. Dally ran up to him and extended his hand, cackling and yelping like a wild dog. 

“Need some help there, kid?”

Johnny smacked his hand away. “What’re you doing? Go back to your team, I can handle myself thank you very much.”

Dally held up his hands in mock defense. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just tryna help.”

“Well, stop trying,” Johnny said back as he stood and dusted himself off. “Just wait till I get my hands on you, then you’ll see.”

Dally’s tongue flicked out and licked slowly at his upper lip. “That don’t really sound like a threat, just so you know.”

“Well, it is.” Johnny headed off, purposely hitting Dally in the shoulder, and joined Darry and Two-Bit as they made a new game plan.

“Look, Johnny,” Darry said. “I know it’s a game but you gotta keep your head screwed on and stop messin’ around with Dally. It’s like having another Steve and Soda to take care of.”

Johnny scoffed. “Darry, it ain’t me-”

“Just try, please, Johnny?” Darry then turned to Two-Bit and continued making up random strategies that didn’t make sense in Johnny’s brain.

The boys broke their huddle and everyone got into their new positions to play. Dally was conveniently placed right in front of Johnny. When he noticed that he grinned, the elfin, mischievous grin, the one that showed teeth that were dull from smoking.

“I ain’t supposed to mess around with you no more,” Johnny said cooly. “I’m s’posed to keep my head on and ignore you.”

“You couldn’t last a day ignoring me,” Dally said.

“Watch me.” That earned Johnny a smile, a sweet one. His stomach did a little flip right then and there.

But then someone called “hut” and Johnny was suddenly pinned down by Dallas himself. He momentarily lost his breath and consciousness, but when he regained it he immediately began to struggle and twist around but Dallas wouldn’t budge. 

“Dal, leave me alone!” He whined.

“I thought you were gonna single handedly take me down?”

“Get off me!” It was very-much-not-good to have a shirtless and sweaty Dallas Winston on top of you. To be honest, this was not Johnny’s first time being breathlessly pinned down by a half-naked Dally who was slick with bodily fluids(sweat, just sweat, only sweat, just sweat, nothing else), and it certainly would not be the last time. But he never failed to be completely enamored and provoked by the action, though he tried his best not to look like he was. But it was very hard when your significant other, lover, whatever other term that describes their relationship but isn’t the word “boyfriend”, had the best physique that a seventeen-year-old boy possibly could have.

“Well, since you’re asking so nicely.” Dally then rolled away and laid on the dirt beside him. Johnny took the moment to punch him in the ribs. He playfully recoiled and protected himself with his arms as Johnny went in with more punches.

“You’re so annoying!” 

“Aw, but you love it!” Johnny almost punched him in the face at that. Dally seemed to notice and just stood up and laughed it off. Again, Johnny ignored Dallas’s extended hand and got up on his own.

Dally liked to say that Johnny was a tease. Sometimes, Johnny understood what that word meant in the specific situation he was using it in, sometimes he didn’t. One time, Johnny asked Dally to elaborate on that, and he didn’t like the definition he got.

The few times Johnny was passed the ball, Dally was hot on his trail. There were a few times that Johnny managed to tackle Dally, but it was usually because he had let him. There were countless moments throughout the game where the two boys were a hopeless, tangled set of limbs that couldn’t control their laughter. And again there was that unbearable proximity. As the game neared its end, the tension became more palpable. And therefore, it became more noticeable.

“We’re not really keeping it hidden here, Dal,” Johnny discreetly whispered as everyone went back to their positions.

“Oh, who gives a flying fuck.”

The game went on for some time with too much contact and small touches that Johnny could no longer handle. There was a point during the game where he found himself eye-fucking the shit out of Dally-and Dally didn’t seem to have any complaints. There was too much tension and too much longing and too much tangible wanting and too much sweat. Right before the game finished, Johnny finally gave in and took off his soaked shirt. Once again, Dally didn’t seem to have any complaints.

And then, as if it were a miracle from heaven, the game ended.

Darry brought out lemonade and everyone sat on his porch in the shade, trying to calm down. Soda and Steve couldn’t stop gloating about their victory, and Ponyboy kept reminding them that he was also on their team. Darry rolled his eyes and Two-Bit pretended to be heartbroken, they tried to get Johnny to join their football conversation on how they could have won, but he didn’t know what they were talking about. He did notice one thing, however. Dally said nothing. He was silent the entire time and barely made it halfway through his lemonade when he stood.

“I’m heading off.” He gave a quick and subtle glance to Johnny and then picked up his shirt, it still seemed heavily sweat-drenched.

As everyone started saying goodbye, Johnny casually chimed in, “Hey, mind dropping me off by my parents' house?”

“Why?” Ponyboy asked.

Johnny responded expertly. “I left something there, I’ll be back before you know it.”

Ponyboy nodded, but a shadow of suspicion had crossed over his face. “Alright.”

Johnny got up and headed towards Dally. The older boy threw his arm around the younger’s shoulder and brought him closer. Johnny decided not to shrug his grip off, he figured the touch wouldn’t be considered strange if he didn’t act strange, and he liked it. He liked Dally a lot, in a normal and healthy way. But he couldn’t deny the thrill he got at the thought of something so taboo, the imagination of the shock and reaction they would receive from other people. It excited him, sometimes in a sick way.

He loved the private and secret moments that belonged to them alone when the world didn’t seem to matter. He hated the idea of hatred and discomfort he would receive from the people he had known all of his life when the world did matter. But in between those two extremes was a gray area, this thrill that made him smile wickedly. And he knew that Dally shared the same thrill in the same way.

He knew they weren’t sinful for loving each other, but they were sure as hell sinners.

Dally and Johnny entered the car, rolled the windows up, and headed off. They both reached for the radio dial at the same time and took the moment to intertwine their fingers together. Dally brought their hands up and kissed Johnny’s knuckles, each individual one, at a specific time. And his lips were open and wet and they were just lingering on his skin.

Johnny lost his breath and immediately thought: oh shit, this is gonna be one of those nights.

They spoke no words and Johnny unlinked their fingers and turned on the radio. He skipped to his favorite station. The Rolling Stones played. Dally changed the station. A Jazz song played. Johnny changed it back, playfully glancing at Dallas. Dally did the same, catching his gaze and practically ignoring the road ahead of them.

Maybe this is how they die, Johnny thought. From sexual tension.

They kept changing the station back and forth until Dally pulled over and brought Johnny onto his lap. Their mouths found each other like magnets and their hands were tangled in each other’s hair and their breaths came out in uneven, vicious puffs. Johnny leaned back when they were trying to pull off each other’s shirts.

“Dal, you’re still so sweaty-”

“I’m about to get a lot worse.” There were times that Dally tried to be sexy, and many times he succeeded. And sometimes, maybe he was, essentially. But Johnny had such a strange sense of humour and sometimes he laughed at the wrong time or found the wrong things funny. But Dally never seemed to mind.

They rolled their window down before they forgot, like many other times, and embraced each other and fell into bliss. This wasn’t a rare occurrence for them, but oddly enough Johnny found that this always happened whenever they played football.

Football was truly his curse and his blessing.


End file.
